Palmares Golf Resort Review: A stunning resort that feels a few years away from true greatness

Palmares Golf Resort Fact File

• Location: Between Lagos and Alvor, Western Algarve
• Year Established: 1975
• Par: 72
• Length (yards): 7126 (Alvor-Lagos), 6707 (Lagos-Praia), 6321 (Alvor-Praia)
• Green Fees (weekdays): Around €130 for 18 holes
• Signature Hole: The par 5 fourth is spectacular, while the entire Lagos loop is memorable
• Website: palmaresliving.com

Much has been made of the Portuguese golfing boom that has taken place over the last decade or so. Few places, however, will drive home just how far the nation's golf offering has come along like Palmares.

First opened in 1975, Palmares has in more recent times rebranded itself as the Algarve's true golfing jewel, spending the last 15 years or so metamorphosing to take advantage of its beachside location and offer a more comprehensive experience for the upswell of tourists descending on the Algarve for its combination of sun, sand and golf. 

Key to this was a Robert Trent Jones Jr.-led redevelopment of the course which took place in 2011, expanding the layout from 18 to 27 holes and creating a truly varied test of golf that descends from a resort-style inland course down towards a links-style final nine running along the Ria de Alvor.

An expansive redevelopment of the clubhouse and residential accommodation followed in the decade to come, with the former, a modernist glass and concrete structure rendered in the dusky red of the local clay-rich soil and looking over the coast towards neighbouring Lagos, instantly entering the conversation as one of Europe's best clubhouses. Indeed, it took home European Clubhouse of the Year at last year's World Golf Awards, while tucked away down a corridor lies Al Sud: a Portuguese haute cuisine eatery that's one of the only Michelin-starred restaurants in European golf.

As we arrive at Palmares for our short stay, however, it rapidly becomes clear that far more is planned to turn Palmares into a golfing destination the scale of which has never been seen in the region.

As much a building site as it is a polished golf resort, Palmares is a hive of activity, a bit of a maze to navigate, and nonetheless very much open for business.  European and American golf tourists happily embark on rounds while prospective buyers discretely tour the sites of what will soon become multi-million-Euro apartments (a vacant plot of land on the estate's residential sector will set you back around a million euros). 

Cranes tower and saws buzz in the background, while lurking just beyond the confines of the course is a pit on which Marriott is planning to build a five-star hotel to join up with the resort's current accommodation. Visitors can choose to stay in the resort's Beach House Hotel, which will be taken over by the Marriott upon its completion in 2028, or in one of the resort's signature apartments, which range from one to three rooms with multiple balconies and overlook the 10th hole.

Palmares Golf Course Review

Now going on for 15 years old, Palmares' current 27-hole layout is split into three nine-hole tracks named after the locales they primarily look over. The ocean is a prevailing theme throughout, with 90% of the course's 27 tees boasting some form of ocean view. 

The opening nine, called the Alvor for its views over the nature reserve of the same name, is a resort-style parkland track. Here, three fairly bland opening holes are quickly forgotten that are quickly forgotten as the course turning back on itself, heading down a stunning and secluded valley towards the coastline. 

Holes 9-18, dubbed the Lagos track, begin to take on a more open nature as the course ventures further and further towards the sea, bordered on one side for a few holes by the tracks of the historic tourist train ferrying visitors and locals up and down this stretch of Algarve coastline. My personal favourite of the three loops, it combines more open parkland golf and a closing stretch of more linsky holes to fantastic effect, maintaining the spectacular views for what seems like an almost impossible stretch.

The experience culminates in the Praia course: nine holes of scrubby, sandy links golf that hug the sea and will have you playing alongside locals out on their morning walk along the promenade. It's also by far the most challenging of Palmares' three loops, requiring pin point accuracy to keep yourself from spending the afternoon playing what effectively equates to desert golf.

The vistas are frequently spectacular as a result, particularly when Palmares is played towards the end of the day as the sun sets towards the west and casts a golden glow over the course. With many of the Algarve's best courses situated more in land, standing on the tee box watching the fishing boats and pleasure craft traverse the Mediterranean under a golden sunset made for a truly unique experience.

Each of the nine hole loops end back at the surrounds of the clubhouse, making for a fairly convenient and quick round whichever combination of holes you decide to play. However it's not perfect. Given the hilly nature of the first 18 holes and Palmares' routing, with long stretches common between holes, walking any 18-hole combination here would likely prove a pretty taxing experience – particularly on a warm day.

Final verdict

While Palmares is undoubtedly already one of the Algarve's best courses, one can't help but walk away from the resort amazed at the amount of potential still on offer here. Outside of helping the course truly shine amidst the bone-dry climate of the Algarve, not a lot needs doing here to get Palmares' golf course looking and feeling like one of the very best in the entire country. 

Even so, much like the resort that surrounds it, there's plenty in the works to take the Palmares golfing experience to the next level. Challenges around the course's definition and green conditions, made worse by recent droughts, have been noted by the staff, and a full 27-hole renovation of the course is planned for the coming few years.

Add a truly prestige hotel to the overall experience, and you have the makings of what could become one of Portugal's most desirable golfing destinations.

That, however, is some time away yet. And while we'd wholeheartedly recommend a round at Palmares to anyone paying a visit to the Algarve right now, we predict the next five years will see the resort emerge into a truly five-star retreat. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ️️️️️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️